Toki ga Kita
by Askavi
Summary: AU. Set against a war. Only the prologue is up though. Pairing undisclosed as of yet
1. Prologue

Title : Toki Ga Kita  
  
Author : Yev  
  
Part : Prologue  
  
Archive : SDD, SDfic ML, anywhere else, ask first pls  
  
Rating : PG for now...  
  
Pairing : Undisclosed It's still pre-yaoi, but there'll be loads of pairings all over.  
  
Disclaimer : Don't own SD, don't sue me  
  
Notes : Hmm.. This has nothing to do with Kai-rei's fic, Timeless Passion. I actually had this idea for quite some time, but just only found time for it. Actually, other than the background being similar, both set against a war, nothing should coincide... gomen, Kai-rei, if you mind..  
  
Dedicated to P-chan and Yuki. ^_^  
  
~Toki ga Kita ... the time has come ~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He waited. Silently. Patiently.  
  
The cold wind nipped at his skin, prickling at his eyes.  
  
Still he lay there, not daring to move, not daring to blink, staring straight ahead at the silent street.  
  
The target had not appeared. But he did not dare to take his finger off the trigger.  
  
Be patient. He mentally berated himself. Be patient. He will appear soon.  
  
Something light landed on his head. He stiffened, not getting up.  
  
Then he realized it was snowing.  
  
The snowflakes danced around him, partially covering him.  
  
Good. He thought.  
  
The street was still silent. It must have been five hours since he lay there.  
  
But still he waited.  
  
Patience will be rewarded. His fingers tightened their grip on the rifle.  
  
His eyes lit up at the sound of a car making it's way up the street.  
  
The time has come.  
  
  
  
  
  
The teenager ran along the street, holding up a scrap of paper. "He's dead, he's dead!"  
  
The closed doors slowly creaked open, and people cautiously looked out.  
  
The boy stopped in the middle of the street and began to read from the scrap of paper. "On the 20th of September, General Yamazaki was assassinated around midnight, as he alighted from his car in front of his friend's house. Sources have reported that police have not arrested anybody. However, speculations have pinpointed this as an act of vengeance against the siege commandeered by the General towards our neighboring country. A police spokesman has said that the police will not make any distinction between anyone shielding the murderer and the murderer himself."  
  
"Do you think he did it?" A girl asked, nervously twirling her long braid.  
  
"Shhh. Don't even mention him." An older woman reprimanded, worry etched on her face.  
  
"But."  
  
"Say some more and you'll get the whole village in trouble."  
  
The girl fell silent.  
  
"But they can't link him to us." The boy holding the scrap of paper asked, doubt evident in his voice.  
  
"You're all missing the point here." A weather beaten old man hobbled out to join them.  
  
"Ojiisan." The girl hurried to support him.  
  
He waved her off. "The point is, now they have the reason they need to start a war."  
  
"That.that means. our village will be."  
  
The old man leaned against a fence. "Our village will be the victim once again."  
  
Everyone looked nervously in the direction of the border. Even the two teenagers, at their young ages, could remember the bad times when the village, being near the border, had been caught up in the strife alongside the borders.  
  
"Should we leave?" The girl asked, looking scared.  
  
"And where to? Where can we go?" The old man answered, "This is our land, our place. How can we leave?"  
  
As they continued their discussion, no one noticed the boy with the scrap of paper wander off, towards the direction of the border. If only I can join the army. 


	2. Archive 1 :: Chapter 1

Archive 1: The start of the war  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
He was hot and covered in dust. He had been walking for a few hours, determined to reach the border before nightfall. He wanted to join the army, to help them fight.  
  
And now when the border was in sight, he suddenly felt a tinge of fear. What if they wouldn't accept him? What if it wasn't what he imagined it to be?  
  
Cursing under his breath, he dismissed his fears. It would be fine. I'll fight for my country, and I'll go back in glory.  
  
He gripped his backpack tighter and forced himself to walk faster. I'll be there soon. I'll be there soon. I'll be there soon.  
  
Suddenly a loud blare of horn blasted through his monotony.  
  
He jumped to the side of the road and watched as the army truck sped through the road, shrinking in size rapidly.  
  
For the first time since he left the village, he felt alive. Alive and hopeful.  
  
With a slight grin, he hoisted his backpack and walked towards where the truck had vanished.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Do you understand your mission?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes, Sir."  
  
"You will be of utmost importance to us. We will expect you to contact us at least once every two weeks and whenever there is anything of importance."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"And in the case that your identity is exposed, you know what you are to do?"  
  
His grip tightened on the cord around his neck containing the deadly poison. "Yes, Sir."  
  
The general nodded, satisfied. "Good. Off you go now."  
  
He bowed and left the office, feeling a weight beyond his years. It was an honor to be chosen for this, but with the honor came inevitable death.  
  
  
  
  
  
He sat in the corner, knees drawn tight against his chest. All around him boys, no, men his age were talking to each other, moving around.  
  
He swallowed nervously, while one hand playing with the strap of his backpack. He didn't know what to do. The commander of the camp had just instructed the other boy to bring him to the barracks.  
  
Was this how armies were? Surely there had to be some kind of training, some kind of activities. This wasn't how he envisioned it.  
  
He had thought that it would at least be orderly, strict and what an army ought to be like. That was his dream.  
  
The reality was chaotic. The barracks were just rooms full of people, doing nothing but chatting and gossiping. The floor was mud, the beds were lice infested, and insects were crawling around him.  
  
Cursing, he jumped to his feet. It had been better back in his village. At least it was clean.  
  
This is where real men live. Real men would not die from dust and insects and mice. he thought as one ran across his shoe.  
  
He sighed and scanned the room and its' occupants rapidly. This will be my home for the future.  
  
Then he caught sight of someone sitting by himself in the other corner of the room. His interest piqued, he pushed his way towards the other boy.  
  
"Hey."  
  
The boy looked up. "Hello."  
  
"I'm Hanamichi Sakuragi. Did you just get here?"  
  
"I'm Hana too. I'm Toru Hanagata. I got here about a week ago."  
  
"Really?" He scrutinized the floor to make sure there were no insects journeying across it and sat down. "Have you done anything?"  
  
Hanagata shook his head. "Nothing has happened. You should dye your hair black."  
  
Sakuragi reached up to touch his hair. "Why?"  
  
"It's too noticeable. The enemy's going to spot you no matter how you hide."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But it's nice, if that's any consolation. I've never seen anyone with flaming red hair like you."  
  
He grinned. "Thanks.  
  
"Where are you from?"  
  
"A village near here."  
  
Hanagata nodded. "I'm from the capital. I was halfway through the school semester when they announced that they needed young men to fight for our country."  
  
"And so you enlisted."  
  
The boy shrugged. "I saw no point in studying when the whole country is at war. Might as well come and make a real man out of myself."  
  
Make a real man out of myself. Sakuragi smiled at those words. "I want to make a real man out of myself too."  
  
"That day will come soon. It will."  
  
He didn't reply to Hanagata's statement. It sounded like Hanagata needed to convince himself, and so Sakuragi kept quiet. It will come. We will be real men.  
  
And so the days passed. Sakuragi dyed his hair black, spent his days chatting to Hanagata, waiting futilely for the day to come when they could be real men.  
  
Yet a nagging worry kept gnawing at him. They were all not trained in combat, or in fighting. What were they to do when they had to fight?  
  
When he voiced his worry out, Hanagata laughed at him and told him that real men could handle it, so he kept quiet.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Wake up! Move it!"  
  
Sakuragi woke up with a shock. The commander of the camp stood at the door, shouting for them to wake up.  
  
He rubbed his eyes blearily. Wake up for what?  
  
"This is it!" A familiar voice whispered in his ear.  
  
His eyes lit up. This was it finally. He bounded off the bed and followed Hanagata out of the barrack.  
  
It was so dark he could barely make out where they were going. Someone shoved a rifle in his hands and he grabbed hold of it, relishing the cold metal under his warm hands.  
  
And they marched off, towards a destination only the commander knew. 


	3. Archive 1 :: Chapter 2

Archive 1: The start of the war  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
It was worse than he thought it would be.  
  
Not knowing how to combat, they were sent like helpless sheep to the front line. He had only one thought in his mind: Stay alive.  
  
As he and the rest were sent running towards the enemy, he found himself desperately dodging bullets and trying to get a clear shot. Many a times, he flinched in shock as the man in front of him collapsed, spurting blood all over the place.  
  
Knowing that turning around would mean definite death, he continued on, hiding behind others when he could, and finally crawling on the ground.  
  
Suddenly, the attack stopped. He froze, unsure of what to do next. He lifted his head up slightly. All around him were dead bodies and in the distance, he could see some people moving towards him. The enemy.  
  
Desperate, he crawled under a couple of dead bodies and lay still, not daring to move.  
  
  
  
It was the silence that woke him up later. At first, he could not remember where he was, and why he was under something heavy.  
  
Something cold was dripping down his neck. He touched his fingers to it and tried to see what it was, but it was too dark. Then he smelled the copper tinge of it and horrified, he remembered everything.  
  
Cursing, he gingerly crawled out from under the bodies. Seeing the coast was clear, he got to his feet.  
  
All around him were bodies, lots of dead bodies. Many of them were boys barely out of their teens, many of them he had seen or talked to in the past weeks.  
  
Tears he had been repressing welled up. Looking at the massacre, he covered his mouth with his hand and started sobbing. Was this what they had joined the army for? Was this the glory they had been looking for? They did not become real men; they died not knowing what hit them.  
  
"Hey, look! Here's another one like us."  
  
He jumped at the voice and turned around, clutching his rifle to him.  
  
"Sakuragi!"  
  
"Hanagata!"  
  
The taller boy rushed forward and grabbed him in a bear hug. "You're all right!"  
  
Trembling, Sakuragi held onto the older boy and choked back his sobs.  
  
"Hey, I hate to interrupt this touching reunion, but we have to get our ass out of here."  
  
Hanagata nodded. "Let's go, Sakuragi. Hold on to your rifle."  
  
  
  
They trekked silently, as far away from the border as they could.  
  
Deep down, Sakuragi wondered how far they could run before anyone mistook them for deserters. The punishment for deserters in the Shinyuu army was death. He did not want to escape death once at the battlefield, only to be shot to death while mistaken for desertion.  
  
"Erm." He voiced out, breaking the silence. "Should we get these," He tugged at his standard army camouflage, "off?"  
  
"And do what? Freeze in the cold?" The other boy replied, not looking back.  
  
"Our uniforms will hide us better in the forest." Hanagata said softly.  
  
Sakuragi swallowed hard and nodded. Then after a while, "Where are we going?"  
  
Hanagata shrugged. The other boy did not even bother to look back.  
  
He sighed and fell silent.  
  
  
  
  
  
They must have walked for at least three hours when they finally reached a cave of some sort.  
  
"Get in." The boy said, looking around rapidly.  
  
Hanagata nodded and disappeared into the cave. Sakuragi squirmed inwardly.  
  
"What's the matter with you? Do you want to stay out and either get shot or freeze?"  
  
Sakuragi grimaced, too tired to argue and gingerly entered the cave.  
  
The cave was surprisingly spacious. The floor of it was covered a dry sand and there was a slightly murky smell in the air. The boy entered the cave, pulling some rocks across the entrance to block it from view.  
  
Sakuragi sunk down to the floor, staring at the dark surroundings.  
  
"Are you two hungry?" The boy disappeared into the back of the cave and appeared with packs of ration. "Eat these."  
  
"Thanks." Sakuragi caught the one the boy threw in his direction.  
  
"I haven't introduced myself. The name's Hisashi Mitsui."  
  
"Toru Hanagata."  
  
"Hanamichi Sakuragi." He mumbled in between bites.  
  
"How did you know about this cave?" Hanagata asked.  
  
"I've lived here before, I stored the rations in the cave, knowing that someday soon I'll need them."  
  
"You knew?" Sakuragi couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.  
  
"Hell, yes. It's always like this."  
  
"Always? You sound like you've been through a lot."  
  
"Yeah. I've been through a lot. I'm older than you two, I'll bet."  
  
Now that his eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness, Sakuragi could roughly make out Mitsui's profile. "You don't look that old."  
  
"I don't?" He laughed. "How old are you guys?"  
  
"I'm nineteen." Hanagata volunteered.  
  
"Seventeen."  
  
Mitsui laughed. "I'm twenty five. Don't I look it?"  
  
"No." The two replied in unison.  
  
"It's always like this. War is dirty. It never changes."  
  
"How many have you been through?" There was a hint of challenge in Hanagata's voice.  
  
"Me? I've been involved in every single siege there was against Heiwa these past seven years. How many do you think I've been through? Warfare is always dirty. All you can do is just do your best to survive."  
  
"Like you?"  
  
"Me? Hell, I'm a mercenary. I go wherever there's food and lodgings. Every time the camps open for enlistment, I go there. It's the way I am."  
  
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"  
  
"I used to be. After the first few times, I realized that if I die, I would be better off than I am now, so I didn't care anymore. I used to think that the army would make me a real man, but now," He laughed bitterly, "I know better."  
  
"But we want to be real men too." Sakuragi whispered, closing his eyes.  
  
"Well, you're not going to be one in the army. You know why they don't even bother to train you? It's because they think of you as sheep, stupid, helpless sheep. They send you in, platoon after platoon, to tire out the enemy and use up their ammunition. Then they send in the trained soldiers to trash the enemy. You're the lowest rank. To them, you are nothing. You're worth nothing."  
  
Hanagata spoke up. "You're lying. They can't do that. All men are equal."  
  
"Yeah, all men are born equal right? You think they give a damn?"  
  
"But. what about the glory? What about the honor of fighting for your country?"  
  
"I used to believe in them, kid. Not anymore. Not ever. Now get some sleep, we still have a long way to go tomorrow."  
  
"We do?" Sakuragi asked, feeling confused and lost. "Where are we going?"  
  
"I'm going back to Camp Tuzak. You two can follow me if you want."  
  
"But why are you going back there?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you I'm a mercenary? I'll go wherever there's food and lodgings. Now get to sleep." 


	4. Archive 1 :: Chapter 3

Archive 1: The start of the war  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
That night, he dreamt of sheep being herded into packs of wolves, of them being torn apart by the hungry wolves. Those sheep that turned around to try to escape were cruelly killed by the shepherd boy.  
  
He woke up with a start and took a moment to figure out where he was. Memories of yesterday came flooding back to him, and fearful, he started trembling.  
  
"Hey, you're awake?"  
  
He turned. "Mitsui."  
  
The man stood up and stretched. "Wake your friend up. We should leave, that is if you two want to go back to Tuzak with me."  
  
Sakuragi sat there, silently thinking.  
  
Mitsui frowned and reached out a hand to shake him. "Hey. Did you hear what I said?"  
  
He nodded stiffly. "I'll go back with you. There's no place else I can go."  
  
  
  
Camp Tuzak was deserted. Looking at the empty barracks, Sakuragi couldn't help but remember the enthusiastic, optimistic faces he had seen a few days ago, and the contrasting scene at the battlefield. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions down. Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it.  
  
"Why are we back here when no one else is here?"  
  
He turned around at Hanagata's voice.  
  
Mitsui shrugged and continued walking towards the barracks.  
  
Hanagata leapt forward and grabbed hold of the back of the older man's shirt. "Why did you bring us back here?"  
  
"Let go."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I told you two I was coming back here. I let you choose whether you wanted to follow me back."  
  
"But."  
  
Sakuragi stepped forward. "Let go of him, Hanagata. We have no place else to go."  
  
"And besides," Mitsui added. "This may currently be the safest place for you two. Who knows?"  
  
Hanagata loosened his grip. "Is there no way out?"  
  
"We're like sheep, Hanagata." Sakuragi said softly, not sure whether he was telling himself or his friend. "Either way, we'll face death eventually. Either the wolves will kill us, or the shepherd boy will. Why did we fall in this trap?"  
  
"You're right." Mitsui sounded amused. "It's a trap. And the only way out is to play by their rules."  
  
He suddenly felt angry. "There's no way out. There's no way out at all. We're trapped forever, until we die."  
  
"Death is the way out, kiddo. Death is the answer."  
  
"If that's the case, why don't you kill yourself?"  
  
Mitsui fell silent and looked at the ground. After a long while, he answered. "Because I don't dare to."  
  
With that, he turned and strode to the barracks, not giving their calls a single backward glance.  
  
  
  
After that, he seemed a little embarrassed to see them. Sakuragi noticed that Mitsui didn't quite look at them in their eyes.  
  
And Hanagata was getting more and more pessimistic. He would always sit by himself and do nothing. When Sakuragi asked, he either got no answer or just a simple 'I'm thinking.'  
  
He thought a lot too. He wondered about the glory and the honor he had wanted, he thought about his village, he wished for everything to end so he could go back.  
  
They had a lot of free time to spare. Camp Tuzak was still deserted, though there was enough supplies for them to get on by. By now, he was very familiar with the rifle he was issued with, he even found more bullets and secreted them all over him, just in case.  
  
But they still had nothing to do, and no where to go.  
  
  
  
A week must have passed, Sakuragi thought, as he faced the prospect of another long lonely day. In truth, the days were beginning to blend with each other. He had no idea how many days had passed. But then, he didn't see the necessity of counting the days. They were just going to sit here, waiting. Waiting for death.  
  
He sat up and looked carefully around the barrack. Without human occupation, the insects and mice population seemed to have multiplied, and even with him here, they, as if sensing he was the minority, continued with their ways, ignoring him at best, attacking him while he slept at worst.  
  
"Sakuragi! Come out here!" Hanagata burst in at the door, his face a reflection of optimism.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just come out and look."  
  
He shuffled to the door, and was pushed impatiently out by Hanagata.  
  
Then he realized what had gotten his friend so excited. In the distance, he could see cars moving towards Camp Tuzak.  
  
"Where's Mitsui?"  
  
Hanagata shrugged. "I've no idea."  
  
"Shouldn't we tell him?"  
  
"No need. I already know." Mitsui walked out of another barrack and stared at the cars. "Finally, we have company."  
  
  
  
They waited by the gate, half-eager, half-afraid to know who was approaching the camp. Sakuragi still clutched the rifle tightly to him, not willing to put it down.  
  
As they watched, two cars pulled up to the gate of the camp, and six men alighted from them.  
  
He could tell that the men were surprised to see them there.  
  
"Who are you? Why are you here?" The man standing on the extreme right asked, his voice stern.  
  
"We." Hanagata started, stepping forward.  
  
"Probably deserters?" The man standing in the middle said.  
  
Sakuragi turned a little to study him. He was obviously the leader of the group, a tall, well-built man whose every movement radiated authority.  
  
"No sir!" Mitsui interrupted before Hanagata could say more. "We were sent with the rest of our troop to the border, and we survived. We didn't know where to go, so we came back to Camp Tuzak."  
  
The leader narrowed his eyes. "Survived? Impossible. You must have ran off before the troops reached the battlefield. You do know what the punishment for desertion is?"  
  
"Death." Sakuragi whispered softly.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"And you still deserted your troop?"  
  
"But we didn't!" Sakuragi protested loudly. "We just didn't die there."  
  
The leader waved his protest off, one hand reaching for his pistol. Sakuragi's grip on the rifle tightened.  
  
"General." One of the other men spoke.  
  
"What?" The general checked his pistol. Sakuragi could feel his panic escalating, and a look at Hanagata and Mitsui told him they were feeling the same.  
  
"We need more men, General."  
  
The general frowned. "I guess so. Take them back to Kapan with us. We'll just take it that they survived miraculously." 


End file.
